Status: Complete
Just a Feeling
08
Evan and Luke led her to the cafeteria, where she saw Edwin sitting with a couple of girls she didn’t recognize. She felt her stomach sink. She didn’t want to intrude. She’d just have to sit with Luke and Evan- not that she minded them at all. She’d just been hoping to get to talk to Edwin again. Rowan was getting the feeling that Luke and Evan would be hanging around a lot, so why not see some other people when she could?
Luckily- or maybe not so luckily- Edwin called her over after she’d heaped a plate with food. Rowan hadn’t ever been able to eat all that she wanted before, and was determined to take advantage of the ability to now.
So Rowan found herself sitting across from Edwin and being introduced to two more strangers. One, a ridiculously beautiful girl with black hair and eyes like ice, was named Olivia Worthington, and the other was less traditionally beautiful, with quirky glasses and a big, welcoming grin. She was named Isadore Flinn. Livy and Izzy, as they liked to be called, seemed to be nearly completely opposite, but they were obviously best friends.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Rowan said politely, and was surprised to find that she actually meant it. Olivia was the kindest person she’d ever met, and was very considerate of other people. Izzy, on the other hand, was a high-voltage ball of energy. She talked a lot about nothing important, which was comforting. Rowan wasn’t very used to people, which might make some think that someone like Izzy would scare her away, but Rowan loved her exuberance. It was disarming.
Izzy ate all of her food in a rush, because she hated the sound of chewing. While she ate, she hummed loudly and off-key. Edwin covered his ears and made a dramatic face. “Make it stop!” he said.
“Oh, please. You’re jealous. I, Mr. Carmichael, have skill.”
“At breaking glasses,” Evan muttered under his breath. Izzy hit him playfully and Rowan looked around at the group, smiling and wondering just what she’d gotten herself into.
“And you see that boy over there, the one who just walked in?” Izzy was saying, “His name is Brion Kohl, and he’s kind of a loner. That’s why it’s so surprising that he’s dating Haley O’Shea.” Rowan watched the boy in question as he entered the room, glanced around, and approached a pretty girl who looked vaguely familiar. They started groping each other and making out, so Rowan looked away, coughing uncomfortably.
“She looks a lot like Delaney,” Rowan realized.
“That’s because they’re twins,” Olivia put in.
“Just not identical,” Izzy agreed. “But now that I think about it, maybe it’s not so surprising, after all. I mean, look at him.” Edwin looked at her funny, seeming vaguely uncomfortable.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Oh, just that that boy is fine,” she replied unabashedly, drawing out the ‘i’ in ‘fine’. She fanned herself and pretended to swoon. Rowan laughed, and Livy hid a smile.
“I don’t know,” Rowan said, surprising herself yet again, “I don’t think he’s really my type. There’s an edge to him that makes me uncomfortable just looking at. He looks… mean.” Rowan blushed and took a big bite of her pancake.
“I think he’s just lost,” Livy said. Evan and Edwin nodded, while Luke looked contemplative. Even Izzy didn’t argue. Rowan was beginning to see that whenever Olivia spoke, people took her words for the truth.
Luckily- or maybe not so luckily- Edwin called her over after she’d heaped a plate with food. Rowan hadn’t ever been able to eat all that she wanted before, and was determined to take advantage of the ability to now.
So Rowan found herself sitting across from Edwin and being introduced to two more strangers. One, a ridiculously beautiful girl with black hair and eyes like ice, was named Olivia Worthington, and the other was less traditionally beautiful, with quirky glasses and a big, welcoming grin. She was named Isadore Flinn. Livy and Izzy, as they liked to be called, seemed to be nearly completely opposite, but they were obviously best friends.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Rowan said politely, and was surprised to find that she actually meant it. Olivia was the kindest person she’d ever met, and was very considerate of other people. Izzy, on the other hand, was a high-voltage ball of energy. She talked a lot about nothing important, which was comforting. Rowan wasn’t very used to people, which might make some think that someone like Izzy would scare her away, but Rowan loved her exuberance. It was disarming.
Izzy ate all of her food in a rush, because she hated the sound of chewing. While she ate, she hummed loudly and off-key. Edwin covered his ears and made a dramatic face. “Make it stop!” he said.
“Oh, please. You’re jealous. I, Mr. Carmichael, have skill.”
“At breaking glasses,” Evan muttered under his breath. Izzy hit him playfully and Rowan looked around at the group, smiling and wondering just what she’d gotten herself into.
“And you see that boy over there, the one who just walked in?” Izzy was saying, “His name is Brion Kohl, and he’s kind of a loner. That’s why it’s so surprising that he’s dating Haley O’Shea.” Rowan watched the boy in question as he entered the room, glanced around, and approached a pretty girl who looked vaguely familiar. They started groping each other and making out, so Rowan looked away, coughing uncomfortably.
“She looks a lot like Delaney,” Rowan realized.
“That’s because they’re twins,” Olivia put in.
“Just not identical,” Izzy agreed. “But now that I think about it, maybe it’s not so surprising, after all. I mean, look at him.” Edwin looked at her funny, seeming vaguely uncomfortable.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Oh, just that that boy is fine,” she replied unabashedly, drawing out the ‘i’ in ‘fine’. She fanned herself and pretended to swoon. Rowan laughed, and Livy hid a smile.
“I don’t know,” Rowan said, surprising herself yet again, “I don’t think he’s really my type. There’s an edge to him that makes me uncomfortable just looking at. He looks… mean.” Rowan blushed and took a big bite of her pancake.
“I think he’s just lost,” Livy said. Evan and Edwin nodded, while Luke looked contemplative. Even Izzy didn’t argue. Rowan was beginning to see that whenever Olivia spoke, people took her words for the truth.